Celebrity Body...You Will Be Mine

There's nothing more celebrity than a personalised beauty treatment delivered direct to your door. So, is it any wonder I called upon Return To Glory as my birthday (and bikini-baring) trip to Ibiza beckoned?



With just days to go before I shed my clothes in favour of my chosen two-pieces, something had to give - and it wasn't going to be my beloved food. But could the aptly named Bikini Bootcamp treatment deliver it's promises of instant body confidence and a slimmer, slender figure?
 Focusing on the three main 'problem' areas that bug us ladies - thighs, stomach and chest - the Bikini Bootcamp treatment is a sequence of deep exfoliation, massage and tailored products that claim to detox, smooth and firm the body. And the best bit? Return To Glory's unique concept is that they bring the therapist and treatment to you, so it's all done in the comfort of your own home. 

 

Cue me, waiting patiently in my flat for my RTG therapist Lauren and her magic lotions and potions. Once she arrived and I slipped on a pair of barely-there paper pants, it was time.
Firstly, an exfoliating gel was applied, quite vigorously I must say, to the front and back of my thighs, stomach and sides and finally my chest. Though I felt it working on my skin, Lauren applied it in long sweeping motions so it actually felt more like a luxurious massage than a quick scrub. She explained that although this kind of exfoliation is beneficial to the skin, to achieve real smoothness we need to go deeper into the skin's layers. So next up is a fruit acid peel. I was a little apprehensive about this as Lauren warned me the peel contains gycolic acid and might feel uncomfortable on my skin. But I actually didn't feel more than a tingle, and after around 20 minutes Lauren smoothed it off with a wet cloth and I was left with skin that has never felt smoother. Ever. 
I would have happily called it quits at this point and leave a very satisfied customer but she isn't done with me just yet. It's time for the specialised Mama Mio lotions that target each body area in a different way. Tummy Toner and Get Waisted were massaged into my stomach to tighten, firm and increase inch loss, Shrink To Fit was applied to my thighs in a bid to reduce cellulite and Boob Tube promised to lift and anti-age my chest. After 90 minutes of pampering I was done.
Lauren encouraged me to experience the effects at every stage of the treatment and the instant transformation of my skin after the acid peel was amazing. I finally understand why the celebs go mad for glycolic facials! My stomach (my particular body bugbear) immediately seemed more taught, too. I was told the effects of the Mama Mio products would continue for up to five days after the treatment, meaning my body would still be working to create a more slimline me even on the Ibiza sand.

I definitely felt happier shedding my clothes once I landed on the White Isle, but the real wonder of this treatment is that I didn't even need to leave my flat. Now that's what I call a treat.

The Mama Mio Bikini Bootcamp treatment is available to book on the Return To Glory website, which services the London area.

The Island That Never Sleeps

Sure, Julia Roberts might have spent the summer sunning herself on a beach in Hawaii and Kate Beckinsale lived the Mexico high life, but when it comes to a party holiday destination, the White Isle is the celebrities’ choice. And it just so happens to be mine too.

 

As the grand old age of 25 threatened to descend (less than a week now – eekums), I considered it a travesty that I hadn’t yet visited Ibiza for a fun-filled holiday and three of my closest friends agreed. A few months later and we were all leaving work (the Friday before last) to hop straight on a plane to the hedonistic island, with our shortest shorts and colour-pop bikinis packed for the closing parties of the season.

I’ve often pored over images of Kate Moss, Jade Jagger and Paris Hilton living it up in Ibiza, and while our budget didn’t quite stretch to a luxury villa or yacht, the celebrity haunts were in our sights. First stop, Hed Kandi at Es Paradis. (We’d been promised a glimpse of Ms Moss, as she was there to launch a new E4 show but alas, I can’t report a celebrity sighting.)
So back to our own Ibiza experience. At first look the club reminded me of a dentist’s workspace – clean lines and white floors – but as we ventured further in, we found a circular dancefloor surrounded by multi level steps that was by far the most fun venue I’ve ever been in. Add to that the circus/burlesque dancers and Tara McDonald singing our favourite Hed Kandi tunes (My, My, My anyone?) and our first night as Ibiza clubbers was a success.

 

The next few days were a blur of dancing on the beach at Bora Bora, raving at Space (where I was lucky enough to dance the night away to a set from Too Many DJs – the boys haven’t lost any of their appeal since I fell in love with them at V Festival two years ago), watching the beautiful sunset at Café Del Mar and bouncing up and down to the beat of Pacha.
But the real treat came in the form of Ibiza Rocks closing party. Touted as a gig rather than a club night, the headliners have performed poolside in the San Antonio Ibiza Rocks’ hotel all season. Knowing that Florence and The Machine, Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris had all taken to the stage earlier this summer, we hoped for an even better act to play the final gig and booked our tickets in advance. On hearing our much anticipated top billing was 90s punk band The Specials, we were a tad disappointed. No Pendulum? Or even The Ting Tings? My friend A.L assured us that The Specials were the kind of band you had to see once in your lifetime (up there with The Clash and Queen apparently) so we bit our tongues and rallied round in old fashioned Ibiza spirit, with many a rum and coke to see us through.

 

We needn't have worried. After 20-odd years of performing, the band knew exactly what they were doing and the poolside crowd were soon skanking and raving away like something out of a music video. So what if we couldn't sing along to all (make that any) of the songs or have uncles younger than the musicians – we were all united in our quest, to party hard and dance like it was the last chance we’d ever get.

Which, for this year at least, it was. After heading to the after party at Es Paradis – ah, so we meet again multi-level dancefloor – it was back to the apartment to quickly pack our cases and head to the airport, with Ibiza Rocks glitterpaint still adorning our faces.

All in all, it was an amazing experience – one of the best holidays I’ve ever had. And it’s safe to say that if I had a celebrity budget, I’d be rocking out in Ibiza every season - from onboard my luxury yacht, obviously.

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If Galaxy Did Beauty Treatments...

If you, like me, feel guilty at the thought of indulging your chocolate cravings – Whitney Port sure doesn’t look like she makes friends with Mr Cadbury all that often - Matis may well have found the answer. Their Sheer Delight Body Wrap.

Via We Heart It

Based on the beauty properties of oh-so-tasty cocoa – the magnesium, theobromine and polyphenol content claim to de-stress, invigorate and detox the body – this treatment coats the skin in a chocolate mousse that leaves you feeling silky smooth and distinctly lacking in cellulite. Hoorah!

I headed to celebrity beauty haunt Neville Hair and Beauty salon to be treated by the healing hands of therapist Hasti Parangi, a favourite of Claudia Schiffer and Lisa Snowdon.

After being guided to a tranquil treatment room above the two main floors of the achingly trendy hair salon, it was time for the pampering to begin.

Firstly Hasti rubbed an exfoliating gel over my skin to prime it for the main treatment. I consider all large-grain exfoliators the work of the devil so fell immediately in love with this gel, which was made up of soft beads that didn’t seem to touch, let alone irritate, my skin. After showering the gel off, it was time to choose a scented candle that would form the basis of a warm wax massage. I chose chocolate – if we’re going to do this, let’s do it properly! – and the melted wax was kneaded into my skin. Utter bliss.

Then for the piece de resistance. The powdered chocolate formula was mixed with warm water – imagine the consistency and smell of a choc brownie mix and you’re nearly there. The temptation to lick my own arms has never been greater. After leaving the chocolate treatment to work its moisturizing magic for twenty minutes, I showered for a second time and a new uber-smoothness to my skin was revealed.

It was noticeably softer and had a certain glow to it, which became even more noticeable when I showered that evening. 

In terms of its claims to banish cellulite and tone sagging skin, I'm not convinced - 20 minutes smothered in Angel Delight is no miracle cure. But I believe us ladies all deserve a spot of pampering every now and then, and this treatment is guaranteed to deliver that every time.

The Matis Sheer Delight Body Wrap is available at Fere Beauty within Neville Hair and Beauty Salon and other selected salons nationwide.